An online appeal aimed at getting Macy’s Department stores to fire Donald Trump as an advertising spokesman is expected to pass the half million signature mark today. Citing the celebrity millionaire’s ‘unpleasant, nasty and despicable behavior’, the signon.org petition statement says:
Macy’s: Donald Trump does not reflect the “magic of Macy’s.” We urge you to sever ties with him. Macy’s says it has a strong obligation to be “socially responsible” and that “actions speak louder than words.” Indeed. It’s time to act.
Trump is criticized specifically for four things:
Sexist behavior. Trump has a long record of personally attacking women he disagrees by calling them “unattractive,” ugly or fat. He once sent a target a personal note telling her that she has the “face of a dog.” Not even his own daughter is immune to Trump’s sexism. While referring to his daughter, Trump observed: “She does have a very nice figure…if [she] weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her.”
Hypocritically complaining about jobs being shipped overseas to China, despite the fact that almost his entire clothing line sold at Macy’s is made in China and other Asian nations.
Using his public platform to deny the reality of climate change. Following Hurricane Sandy, Trump publicly declared: “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.”
Perpetuating the racially charged birther conspiracy, repeatedly arguing that President Obama has been lying and was not born in the United States. Earlier this year Trump offered to give $5 million to Obama’s charity of choice if the president produces his college transcripts and passport application.
In addressing Macy’s, the petition quotes the company’s social responsibility policy:
“There is no shortage of talk about the obligation of public companies to be socially responsible to the people and communities where they do business. At Macy’s, Inc., we hold those same beliefs – along with a belief that actions speak louder than words when it comes to helping tackle some of the toughest problems facing us today.”
To sign the petition, go here. As of 8 am this morning over 470,000 people has signed.
T-Minus 778 Days and Counting for Edge2015 in Balboa Park
Streetcars came to San Diego in 1915. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
The original Panama-California Exposition (1915-1917) was a landmark historical event in San Diego. Not only did it highlight the role that then-sleepy port city as the first stop for northward bound shipping after passing through the canal, the Balboa Park location stimulated significant infrastructure development that would impact San Diegans for decades to come.
The beta-website for the Centennial commemoration, entitled Edge2015, of the exposition was launched this week, a sure sign that planning for this event is underway. There isn’t a whole lot there yet–a full version will launch in 2013—but the here’s the promise being made:
This year-long festival, centered in San Diego‘s beautiful Balboa Park, will take you to the edge with transformative concepts in Technology, Art, Commerce and Culture. Hosted by some of the world’s leading innovators, this “tour of tomorrow” will blend futuristic vision with old-fashioned family fun to impact the way you think about your work, your pursuits, and your dreams.
The original exposition also marked a turning point in the city’s development in two ways. It represented a significant statement by those forces that sought to develop the area in non-industrial ways (this was a major point of contention back in the day) and the fair also set the precedent for a major developer ( David Collier) playing a leading role in government.
Given the controversies that have enveloped Balboa Park in recent months, it will be interesting to observe Edge2015’s plans as they unfold. As with all major events, the centennial celebration holds both promise and peril for San Diego. We’ll be watching.
Much Ado About Nothing at UT-SD
Not content to lick their wounds after humiliating defeats at the polls, the spinmeisters at the UT-San Diego continue to try and impose their will upon the city. Sunday it was a front page ‘non-story’ about the doom and gloom passage of Proposition 30 will bring to small businesses. Today, it’s a ginned up controversy over plans to expand the San Diego Convention Center. And it’s on the front page, again.
The owner of our daily excuse for a newspaper of general circulation has his own plans for a future expansion of the convention facility. The City’s current planning doesn’t suit Doug Manchester’s needs, which include increasing the profitability of stock he received as payment for nearby hotels that he developed and sold.
So the paper has seized upon an email sent to its editorial board complaining about a recent deal made between the designated contractor for the convention center expansion and organized labor. Now we’re being told that this email, which has been given scant coverage outside the UT-San Diego, “has reignited still simmering controversy”. What a crock.
The agreement between a private contractor and labor unions is just a ‘deal’, the exact kind of arrangement that Manchester offered in exchange for union support for his developmental dreams. If this ‘simmering controversy’ has emerged in the face of his plans, the newspaper would have been screaming from the rooftops about those that would interfere with private enterprise.
Nothing Going on Here, Move Along
If you didn’t know this already, you should be aware by now that developer and UT-San Diego owner Doug Manchester doesn’t think that silly things like laws apply to his sort. After the City of San Diego threatened him with fines for installing illegal banner signs on the U-T San Diego’s Mission Valley headquarters, his minion, CEO John Lynch, threaten to unleash his investigative staff on the government agency involved. And permits were issued after the fact for renovations at that location that included a home/museum for Manchester’s collection of vintage cars.
So it comes as no surprise to hear that the SDReader is reporting that Manchester and his Grand Del Mar Resort have finally applied for permits for a helipad that had been built approximately one-year earlier without permission from the City of San Diego. Reporter Dorian Hargrove unearthed a February 25, 2012 post on the resort’s Facebook page, boasting about the Grand Del Mar’s new landing pad:
“Touch Down. Check In. However you arrive, we look forward to welcoming you to The Grand life,” was the post on Facebook accompanied with a picture of a rich-looking white couple walking past the two-person helicopter crew.
It’s pretty dammed hypocritical to complain about government regulations when you’re operating premise seems to be to ignore them whenever possible.
The American Veteran Diaspora
As millions of Americans observed Veterans’ Day yesterday, KPBS put up a story about a different kind of military veteran—the deportees living in Baja California.
The story starts by profiling Hector Barajas, currently residing in a rundown apartment in Rosarito, who’s making an effort to track down other veterans in Mexico who have been deported after serving in the military. He tells reporter Erin Siegal there are an estimated 500 to 1000 deported vets living in Tijuana and Rosarito alone.
Although he grew up in Compton, had a green card and served for seven years in the U.S Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, Barajas was deported after being convicted of a crime serving time. It turned out that the expedited pathway to citizenship promised by the military recruiters wasn’t as automatic as he thought, and upon release from prison Barajas was taken into ICE custody, brought across the border, and dropped off in Tijuana.
We learn at the end of the story that there is one benefit that these deported veterans can still collect: burial.
It’s true. Unless they’ve been dishonorably discharged, the Office of Veteran’s Affairs says that all military veterans are indeed entitled to a burial in a national cemetery.
Immigration law doesn’t restrict the corpses of veterans from coming “home” to American soil.
Only then can deported vets re-enter the country legally, in order to be laid to rest as American service members: with a grave marker and a American flag.
On This Day: In 1789 Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter to a friend in which he said, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” In 1937 NBC formed the first full-sized symphony orchestra exclusively for radio broadcasting. The conductor for its first 17 years was Arturo Toscanini. In 1982 The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in Washington, DC.
Eat Fresh! Today’s Farmers’ Markets: Coronado (1st St. & B Ave., Ferry Landing) 2:30 – 6 pm, Escondido (Grand Ave. btw Juniper & Kalmia St.) 2:30 – 6:00 pm , Mira Mesa (Mira Mesa High School 10510 Reagan Rd.) 3–7 pm, Morena District (1240 West Morena Blvd.) 3 – 7 pm, Otay Ranch – Chula Vista (2015 Birch Rd. and Eastlake Blvd.) 4 –8 pm, Pacific Beach (Bayard & Garnet) 2 – 6:30pm, UCSD/La Jolla (UCSD Campus, Town Square at Gilman/Meyers) 10 am – 2 pm (Sept. 25 through mid-June; closed for winter, spring and summer breaks)
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Doug Porter
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SanDiegoFreePress.org did experience some technical difficulties this morning. So we’re a little late posting today. We’re back now and everything is lovey-dovey.